The Taishō Storehouse Across the Road
Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse (樽平酒造前蔵, Maegura) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse in Nakakomatsu, Kawanishi Town, Yamagata Prefecture, built in the Taishō era (1912–1926) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 5 November 1997 under registration number 06-0015.
It is a Dozo-zukuri building, 2 storeys, with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 79 square metres: the newest and smallest of the seven registered buildings.
It stands on the east side of the highway, squarely opposite the Main House. The name means what it says. This was the storehouse in front of the house.
A Record of the Site Before the Road
The Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its broad, deep eaves and the lean-to Geya attached to the gable end facing the street.
The Agency's note goes further: together with the buildings opposite, the Front Storehouse creates a continuous run of white walls, and it preserves the layout of the property as it was before the road was rebuilt. Today a national highway separates it from the Main House, but it was built inside the same compound, in front of the house. The facing pair of white walls survived the road. That survival is what was registered.
It is also the only Taishō-era building of the seven, the last addition in a sequence that runs from the Edo-period house and brewing storehouses through three late-Meiji storehouses.
What to Look For
Stand in front of the Main House and turn around. Across the highway is the gable of the Front Storehouse. It is small, but the eaves project far enough to throw a deep band of shadow across the wall.
Look at the lean-to on the street side. A low roof added to the two-storey block brings an eave line down close to head height along the road.
From the pavement on the Main House side, the Front Storehouse, the highway and the office front of the Main House fall into one line. It is the easiest place to see the old front-and-back relationship that the road cut through.
Visiting the Front Storehouse
The exterior can be seen and photographed from the highway at any time. There is no announced public opening of the interior.
The Barrel Storehouse stands immediately to the north, and the Kikusui Kōgeikan is across the way. Directions and brewery-tour booking details are on the Taruhei Sake Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamagata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was the Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse built?
- In the Taishō era (1912–1926), according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It is the newest of the seven registered buildings.
- Where is the Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse?
- Directly across the highway from the Main House, with the Barrel Storehouse immediately to its north.
- What should I look at on the Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse?
- The deep, projecting eaves and the lean-to attached to the street-side gable, and the way its white wall faces the Main House across the road.
- Why is the Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse a registered cultural property?
- It was registered on 5 November 1997 for its contribution to the historic landscape, as a building that preserves the layout of the property before the road was rebuilt.
- Can I go inside the Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse?
- There is no announced public opening of the interior. The exterior can be seen from the highway at any time.
Basic Information
| Name | Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse (樽平酒造前蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2910-1 Nakakomatsu, Kawanishi-machi, Higashiokitama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building); registration number 06-0015 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1997/11/5 (Heisei 9) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof; building area 79 square metres |
| Owner | Taruhei Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the highway; no announced public opening of the interior |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database of Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Taruhei Sake Brewery Front Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000327
- Kawanishi Town: Taruhei Sake Brewery and Kikusui Kogeikan
- https://www.town.kawanishi.yamagata.jp/kyoiku/bunka/taruhei.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
